


baby it's you

by beforesundown



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Domestic, Domesticity, Fluff, Light angst here and there, M/M, Mentions of Foster Homes, Roommates, domesticeness, jaeyong living in the suburbs for no reason
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-30
Updated: 2021-01-10
Packaged: 2021-03-06 18:54:44
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 15,020
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26193733
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/beforesundown/pseuds/beforesundown
Summary: Taeyong has had his fair share of freak incidents over his 23 years of living. But at this exact moment, as he stands side by side with Jaehyun staring down at the package on their doorstep, he thinks, nothing can trump this one.Because there cannot be a whole ass baby nestled inside that basket.
Relationships: Jung Yoonoh | Jaehyun/Lee Taeyong
Comments: 4
Kudos: 103





	1. Chapter 2

“Uh… Hyung,” Jaehyun calls from somewhere outside the house. 

Taeyong barely hears it in the midst of his concentration but he hums in acknowledgement, typing down on his laptop with practiced ease as he takes another sip of his instant latte. 

“I think you need to see this.”

Taeyong sighs, deciding he needs a break from all the sitting anyway before stretching both his arms up and following the direction of Jaehyun’s voice, the sound of his chair creaking against the floor reaching his ears as he stands up from where he's seated. 

The living room is well lit now that the sun is almost high up, and there's a subtle glow from where sunlight is streaming in through the windows. He walks past the couch, spotting the younger just standing on the doorway, dumbfounded. 

“Is that my package?” He pauses when he sees something sitting on their doorstep, still not that visible from where he's standing. 

“Just bring it in Jaehyun, it’s just a bunch of blankets, it's not that heavy,” Taeyong orders to which he gets no answer. So he proceeds to step closer as it seems that Jaehyun won’t snap out of his trance anytime soon. 

To be fair, Taeyong has had his fair share of freak incidents over his 23 years of living. Like that one time he slipped in the men’s restroom and fell on his butt, bruising it and walking like he’s just had the worst penetrative sex in his life. Or that one time he was hurrying to class and he stubbed his toe on one of the armchair's legs, wincing at the pain  _ and  _ spilling hot coffee on said toe before letting out a scrumptious  _ ‘motherfucker!’  _ all whilst the professor was inside the room  —  just to name a few. He’s seen most of it, if not all. 

But at this exact moment, as he stands side by side with Jaehyun staring down at the package on their doorstep, he feels his soul leave his body. Because there cannot be a whole ass baby nestled inside that basket. 

\---

“Hyung, calm down. This happens in movies all the time it’s totally normal,” Taeyong shoots the younger an incredulous look, teeth nervously biting on his nails as he’s perked on top of one of the bar stools. 

The basket rests safely on top of the kitchen counter as the unsuspecting little human inside it remains asleep. 

“It’s normal to lose your baby in the middle of a neighborhood like this? This is not a movie who are you kidding, Jaehyun? Someone obviously left this baby for  _ us  _ to take care of and escape responsibility!” 

“It’ll be fine. We can ask the neighbors if they saw anyone dropping this baby off. Hope and pray to God it’s theirs while we’re at it…” Jaehyun trails off, muttering more to himself than to the older. 

“Well, maybe there’s a name tag or a contact person,” Taeyong abruptly jumps from where he’s seated, scurrying over to the baby basket and ruffling around the folds of cotton to find a piece of paper or anything that would help them bring this baby back to its parents. 

“Well?” Jaehyun perks up from the opposite side of the counter, arms folded on top of the cold granite.

“Nothing,” Taeyong sighs in defeat. 

Is this really happening? Is this  _ actually  _ unfolding right in front of Taeyong’s eyes? He can’t quite process the idea of a parent leaving their child at someone’s doorstep, let alone taking care of that said baby. He’s always seen these situations in movies, and he has to admit, yes, it  _ is _ heartwarming to see someone take in somebody else’s child if the latter gives them up for adoption. But this isn’t adoption, they didn’t willingly opt for this child. And they’re in college for christ’s sake, they can’t take care of a baby. 

“How long was this basket just sitting outside, Jaehyun? God, how old is this baby he —” Taeyong pauses to check just to make sure. 

“He looks like he’s barely a month old.” 

The younger steps off the stool himself, walking closer to where Taeyong is standing and getting a closer look at the baby. 

“The last time either of us opened the door was about an hour ago when I stepped out to take out the trash so I’d say he’s been there a while,” Jaehyun fixes the tiny wool cap on the baby’s head as Taeyong winces. They left a baby outside in the summer heat for a whole hour. 

“And yeah, I don’t think he’s older than 5 weeks.” 

“Five weeks, Jesus Christ,” Taeyong’s hand comes up to cover his mouth at the realization. 

Jaehyun proceeds to unwrap the blankets surrounding the youngling to cool him off, the tiny gloves and socks following suit. He leaves the wool cap on in case the baby gets cold, because this is Korea. It may be the middle of summer but there’s always a tad bit of chill to the air, and well, he really isn’t sure what to do. He’s never taken care of a baby before, and he guesses neither has Taeyong. 

“Won’t he get cold like that?” Taeyong questions when the socks are off. 

“He’s been outside for quite a while so I think he needs to cool off a bit,”

“You  _ think _ ?”

Jaehyun turns to the older, a questioning look plastered because what else can you make out of a baby left outside for an hour in this heat?

“Oh God, we don’t know how to take care of this baby, Jaehyun!” 

“Alright, let’s let him cool down for a bit and then later we can go outside and ask the neighbors if they saw whoever left him,” the brunette says in an attempt to calm the older. 

He just hopes to God this is some sort of a joke, because as much as he loves the idea of taking care of a baby, he doesn’t know shit about it. 

\--

That’s how Jaehyun and Taeyong end up on the front porch of the house next to theirs a few hours later when the sun isn’t so harsh on the skin anymore. Taeyong knocks on the door dutifully as Jaehyun stands next to him, a bundle of blue sheets in his arms and a snoozing baby inside of it. Taeyong taps his foot on the floor nervously as they wait for someone to answer the door, letting out a deep sigh when a tall man comes into view.

“Hey Taeyong, Jaehyun. What can I do for you guys?” Chanyeol closes the door behind him, settling the towel he was previously wiping on his wet hair — over his shoulders as he looks over the both of them before noticing the babe on Jaehyun’s arms. 

“We were wondering if you saw anyone dropping off a baby — well, this baby,” Taeyong gestures beside him as Jaehyun lets out a sheepish smile. 

“We found him on our porch this morning in a tiny little basket, and we didn’t quite see who left him there.” 

Chanyeol takes a step closer, observing said baby before his eyes point to Jaehyun. His gaze averts back to the baby and then towards Taeyong, and then back to the baby again. 

“You guys sure this isn’t  _ your  _ baby?”

“What? No!” They both exclaim in unison, to which the taller laughs.

“I’m kidding, I know you guys are still in college. But I didn’t see whoever dropped this baby off,” Taeyong glances at Jaehyun who has his eyes fixed on the little human in his arms, adjusting and readjusting his hold to make sure the little one is comfortable.

“I’ll see if Baekhyun-hyung saw anyone,” he adds, before calling inside the house for the older. Baekhyun comes out of the house moments later, his damp hands wiping down the sides of his shirt when he sees the two of them.

“Hey Yong, Jaehyun, and… baby? Whose baby is that?” 

“We don’t know either. Someone left him outside our house earlier this morning and we were wondering if you saw anyone suspicious passing by?” Jaehyun asks, the smaller male beside him chewing on his lip nervously as Baekhyun furrows his eyebrows, trying to recollect anything and everything he could that concerns the baby in their hands. 

“Well, I was outside early this morning watering the plants on the patio but I didn’t see anything on your porch then. Maybe whoever it is came after I went inside?” 

Taeyong’s body slumps in defeat. This whole thing isn’t looking good at all. They’re on their first house which is the closest to theirs and has the clearest view of their porch, and their hyungs haven’t seen anyone who could possibly be the parent of this lost baby. If they didn’t see it, how could any of the other neighbors know at all. 

Jaehyun tells the older to not worry, maybe by some miracle someone  _ did _ see the mystery parent, so they proceed to their next house, the one their left. Taeyong finds himself running a hand through his hair this time when the couple in the said house tells them, no, they didn’t see anyone. The same goes for the one after that—the house adjacent to them and Taeyong is legitimately on the verge of crying now. 

They can’t take care of this baby, they don’t know  _ anything  _ about taking care of a baby. Where are they going to get money to get this baby clothes and food and diapers? How are they going to manage university and their social life whilst taking care of a baby? How are they going to work around having a baby inside the house if it smells like poop and vomit and —

“Hyung,” Jaehyun stops in his tracks to face the younger. They’re on their way to the Kims now, the house located across them to the right, in hopes that this house — which is the last house with the clearest view of their front porch — will finally give them some answers. 

“It’s gonna be fine. Whatever happens, we’re in this together.” Jaehyun reassures, voice confident and comforting him in the midst of his panic. Taeyong only stares back at him, gaze hesitant and scared of what’s to come next before he sees the baby on Jaehyun’s arms snuggling closer to his chest and Taeyong’s heart bursts at the sight. 

He smiles at the sight, taking note of it’s reddening cheeks and it’s face a little damp with sweat now before looking back up at Jaehyun who’s smiling at him. He can do this, they can do this. This baby deserves to be with his parents. 

The Kim residence is a humble flash of cream and white in the midst of modern gray bungalows in the neighborhood. It’s simple, yet stylish with its white soffits and a classic roof of combined gable and dormer. A lot of thought and work went into this house, and it’s quite a breather to look at considering almost all of the houses in this suburban neighborhood look almost identical. 

Taeyong and Jaehyun both stop at the porch, a light buzz in the air at what awaits them behind the door. The older rings the doorbell, stepping back to where Jaehyun is standing when he hears feet scuffling toward the door. 

“Oh? What can I do for you boys?”

“Kyungsoo-hyung,” Jaehyun exhales. 

“Did you see someone drop off a baby basket on our front porch?” 

Kyungsoo glances across the street to where their house is, and he tilts his head for a moment pondering the question when another figure comes up to the doorway. 

“Hey, Jongin-hyung,” Taeyong acknowledges. Kyungsoo turns his head to where the tanned man stands. 

“What’s this? Is that your baby?” 

“N-no, it’s not.” Taeyong’s answer comes out almost immediately, and Jaehyun has to do a double-take and glance at the older before averting his gaze forwards again.

Kyungsoo tells his husband of their predicament before he, too, finds himself looking over at the house across them and thinking hard over wether or not he saw anyone dropping off a baby earlier that morning. 

"I don't really remember seeing anyone," Jongin starts. 

"We were inside the whole morning." 

Taeyong chews on the inside of his mouth. That's it? Nobody knows whose baby this is? And what's that going to leave them with? Will they have to take care of this baby themselves?

Taeyong turns to Jaehyun who has a worried look plastered on his face. Despite his fondness for babies, Taeyong thinks the younger would want the baby to go back to its rightful parents too. 

"Well, we could always check the camera footage." Kyungsoo blurts out of nowhere, gathering both him and Jaehyun's attention. 

"What camera footage?" 

Jongin points to the corner, where they find an unsuspecting CCTV camera recording their every move. 

Taeyong chuckles, a sudden wave of relief washing over him at the fact that this isn't their last resort yet. 

\--

The inside of the house smells like home-baked cookies and sandalwood both at the same time. They've been here before, sometime when the Kims invited them for Jongin's birthday party, or Kyungsoo's. Jaehyun forgot, their birthdays were one day apart and it was confusing to say the least. 

Kyungsoo tells them to get comfortable while he cleans out their master's bedroom to put the baby in, seeing as how Jaehyun's arms might be getting sore from all the carrying. Jongin comes out of the kitchen to hand them iced tea and a few snacks and they make small talk in the living room before Kyungsoo calls out to them from the bedroom. 

Jaehyun settles the baby down on the mattress, pillows and bolsters arranged in a manner that encloses the little one in a box to make sure he won’t edge anywhere near the ends of the bed in case he moves around. 

“He’s behaved, this one. He hasn’t woken up since you left your house?” 

“No, it’s kind of worrying. But babies do need the rest, don’t they,” Jaehyun replies, taking off the tiny cap and fanning the baby’s head to cool him off. 

Taeyong proceeds to the room next to the master’s bedroom connected through an open door where he finds the live feed for the CCTV cameras. There’s one at every corner of the house, the four frames on the monitor coming together to give a clear view of the outside, catching who might ever try to mess with the property. Two of the cameras are installed at the front of the house, giving a nice view of the Kims' front lawn, and a portion of Jaehyun’s house adjacent to them is visible, barely reaching the corners of the frame.

Kyungsoo backtracks to a few hours earlier that day, rewinding the footage and watching out for anyone suspicious on the streets. He pauses when an unidentified person comes into frame, entering their street and sneaking up on the Jung residence. Jongin and Jaehyun enter the room as if on cue, and they inch closer to the monitor to get a better look at the intruder. 

“Who is that?” Jaehyun squints his eyes at the monitor. 

The person is unidentifiable with their dark gray hoodie and black jeans on. They can’t even tell if it’s a man or a woman. Said person walks up to the house’s front porch with their head down, baby basket in hand and looking around warily for anyone that might be on the lookout. As soon as the basket is on the doorstep, they turn around and jog out of the property until they’re out of frame. 

“Well, there’s your culprit.”

Taeyong and Jaehyun both sigh in defeat for the last time. There goes their last and final resort. 

Taeyong is back to nervously chewing on his fingernails again, staring at the paused frame of the unidentified person on the screen. They can barely see anything worth noting about this person that might give them a lead. Nothing else is visible except for their clothes and shoes. 

“Well, since you’re not capable of taking care of that baby,” Kyungsoo starts. “Why don’t you give him up to a foster home?” 

The room is in pin-drop silence immediately. Taeyong stops chewing on his fingernails, hesitantly turning around to find Jaehyun glaring at the monitor, seemingly trying to ignore the question hanging in the air. Taeyong clears his throat at this before voicing out.

“Jaehyun I think we should — ” the shrill cry of a baby from the other room stops Taeyong from finishing his sentence and Jaehyun is out the room to tend to him in a matter of seconds, leaving Taeyong to stare at his retreating figure. 

“We’re not gonna give him up for foster care, hyung.” Jaehyun passes right by Taeyong before a word is out his mouth. 

The baby is safely tucked away in Jaehyun’s room now that they’ve arrived home. The latter’s footsteps echo around the house as he stomps to the kitchen, opting to make dinner. Taeyong follows suit, trying to explain his side to the younger but he won’t  _ listen.  _

“Jaehyun, we can’t take care of this baby.” He rounds the counter as Jaehyun stops in front of the stove, turning the switch on with force that the click echoes loud around the room. 

“Where are we gonna get the money to buy him formula and diapers and clothes? And we’re in college Jaehyun! It might seem easy now since it’s still summer break, but what are we gonna do if we have a paper due the next morning and the baby can’t stop crying in the middle of the night?” Jaehyun still doesn’t acknowledge him as he places a pan on the stove, so Taeyong continues. 

“And what about your mom, huh? How is _she_ going to feel when she finds out you’re taking this child in? It’s bad enough that I’m living here rent-free, unless… you want me to move out,” 

“What? No,” Jaehyun finally turns to face him. “Are you saying that to escape the responisbility of having to take care of this baby with me?”

“That’s not what I meant, Jaehyun you know that.” Taeyong looks at him pointedly. “It’s just not the best idea to take this baby in given the circumstances.”

Jaehyun adjusts his stance to face the older properly and look at him straight in the eye. 

“Hyung, do you know what happens to kids in foster homes?” Taeyong doesn’t say anything, urges the other to keep talking. 

“They get bullied around other kids since they have no proper guardians to watch over them, they barely get the needs they deserve, and yes, maybe someday someone might adopt them. But most of the time these kids get passed around foster parents which could cause them trust issues and emotional trauma at best.” Silence. 

“Do you want that, hyung? Would you want to wish that on an innocent child?” 

“Jaehyun, that’s not what I meant to say. It’s just that we don’t have the money to sustain this child either, both of us are jobless — ”

“I could use my trust fund, hyung. It’s not a big deal.”

“Your trust fund,” Taeyong mimics. “Your trust fund that you’re supposed to use for college to sustain  _ yourself.  _ You can’t spend that money on anything else, Jaehyun your mom would kill you.”

“I don’t care, hyung.” Jaehyun wipes his hand on the kitchen towel before throwing it to counter haphazardly.

“Nobody is going to a foster home, not on my watch.”

Jaehyun doesn’t say anything after that, and neither does Taeyong as he watches the latter’s retreating figure. Jaehyun slams the door to his room close, not loud enough to wake the baby up, but certainly loud enough to put Taeyong off. 

The latter can only sigh and run a hand through his hair. 

Neither of them eat dinner that night. 

\--

Jaehyun doesn’t talk to him after that. He takes care of the baby by himself, buys his formula and diapers by himself, and cooks his meals for one. 

Taeyong doesn’t make the effort to talk to him either. He  _ tries  _ to try to talk to him, if that makes sense, but he doesn’t know what to say. He hasn’t changed his mind about wanting to send the baby to a foster home. Jaehyun made some good points when he said he didn’t want the baby to live an unstable life of having to adjust to a foster home and new foster parents, but it’s just not within their capabilities to take care of a child either. 

As for moving out, he doesn’t want to do that either. It would be hard to get a dorm room on campus since he doesn’t have the right connections, and he’s spent all his college years living with Jaehyun in this house. He doesn’t know, nor want to hunt for another place to live. More importantly, he  _ wants _ to stay with Jaehyun. 

He doesn’t want to leave the younger with this huge responsibility all by himself despite their whole feud. He knows how taxing taking care of a baby can be, let alone doing it by yourself, and he wants to help him. 

That's why one day when he hears the baby’s cries from Jaehyun’s room he doesn’t hesitate to barge in knowing Jaehyun is currently showering. Taeyong coos when he nears the bed, the little human squirming around as his cries echo throughout the room. 

Taeyong takes him in his arms, praying to god he remembers how to carry a child from taking care of his noona’s and hopefully, his muscle memory doesn’t fail him. He doesn’t snap the baby’s neck in his hold, which is a good sign. So he adjusts his arms around him, hands coming up to fix the receiving blanket around his torso as he lightly bounces the baby in his arms. 

An abrupt squeaking of feet against the floor comes from the doorway and Taeyong turns to find Jaehyun paused near the door, hair dripping wet and only a towel around his torso. He assumes the younger burst out of the shower when he heard the baby’s mewls. 

Taeyong tries hard not to let his gaze linger elsewhere when he says, “He was crying and I knew you were showering so,” he bows his head down, doesn’t look at the younger for another second and turns his attention to the baby. 

“You can continue your shower. I’ll take care of him,” Taeyong mutters, still not looking at him. Jaehyun only stares at him dumbfounded for a few seconds before he hesitantly makes his way back to the shower, and Taeyong tries not to think about the image of Jaehyun with only a towel around his torso as he shushes the baby back to sleep. 

Jaehyun’s room smells like a mixture of formula and baby powder now. There are a few milk bottles on the nightstand, cans of powdered milk and one big pack of diapers on the bigger table, and a few baby clothes folded on the bed. Taeyong notices there’s also a new mobile hanging from the ceiling on the corner, and he assumes the vacant space below it is where the crib is supposed to go. 

He walks over to the mobile to take a closer look. Hanging on it are little crescent moons and tiny whales, some stars too. It sways in the summer air, turning clockwise gracefully as it jostles in its place lightly. Taeyong smiles, it’s pretty. It’s been a while since he’s seen baby toys and well, everything that has anything to do with babies. He had a great time babysitting for his noona back then, but he never really got to do it too often since he was still in high school when his sister gave birth, and she was wary of leaving Taeyong with her son for too long, which was nonsense because Taeyong was capable of changing diapers and filling milk bottles at least. Nonetheless, he’s thankful he got to do it in the first place, because now he’s gonna need it more than anything he’s ever learned in school. 

He’s snapped out of his reverie when he hears Jaehyun clearing his throat, the sound of the door shutting close following suit. He’s standing near the dresser now, again, in nothing else but a towel around his waist. Taeyong gets the hint and turns away from the younger, still cradling the baby in his arms as he gazes out the windows whilst Jaehyun dresses himself behind him. There’s a whole 5 feet separating them, a bed in the middle of it, but the tension is palpable and Taeyong doesn’t know how to talk to him now that they’re in the same room, especially with one of them half naked. 

He relaxes when he hears the dresser drawer shut close, signaling that Jaehyun is done changing. He hands the baby over to him, being especially careful of its head and wary of where Jaehyun’s skin meets his. 

“You didn’t have to, but thanks.” Jaehyun mutters, not looking at him. Taeyong can only bite his lip in nervousness as he looks over the younger.

“I’m sorry about everything I said,” Taeyong starts. “I still don’t think this is the best idea, but I wanna be here for you. I know this whole parenting a newborn thing is really hard and I don’t want you to bear the brunt of it alone.” 

That catches Jaehyun’s attention. “Are you still thinking of sending him to a foster home?” 

Taeyong hesitates. “Yeah but…” he lets out a breath. “You won’t really listen to me, would you?” A coy smile shows itself on Jaehyun’s lips, barely there. But Taeyong catches on and he chuckles to himself, walking over to the younger to stare at the little baby in his arms. 

“He’s cute,” he brushes a gentle finger on the little one’s cheeks, eyes half closed and dozing off soon. 

“Cuter than me?” Taeyong looks up at the question, finds the taller staring back at him with a glint in his eyes. 

“Cuter than you.” Jaehyun laughs. 

“So what’s his name?” Taeyong brushes the little hairs on the baby’s forehead.

“Actually uh, he doesn’t have a name, yet.” Taeyong’s eyes round at the revelation and he looks up to stare at the younger with disbelief. 

“You haven’t named him yet?”

“Well, I was hoping we could name him together.” Taeyong evidently freezes, a light ringing in his ears when Jaehyun says this, and the room is obtrusively quiet as he stares up at him. 

Taeyong clears his throat to compose himself.

“Well, what do you wanna name him?” 


	2. 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They navigate the ups and downs of taking care of a newborn, but not without a few hitches along the way. Jaehyun learns the importance of independence the hard way.

“Well, what do you wanna name him?”  
“Uh…” Jaehyun trails off as his mind blanks out.  
“How about Jaeho?”  
“Like the song?”  
Taeyong snortles.  
“What if we combine our names? Like Youngjae… or Hyuntae?”  
Silence.  
“This isn’t our child, Jaehyun.”  
“Right.”  
The silence that ensues doesn’t leave them for a few more minutes. Taeyong chews on his bottom lip, thinking hard of a name he might have in mind, but the only thing he gathers are a few celebrity names, which is tempting to be honest. Naming a child after a celebrity in hopes they grow up to be just as successful is tempting, but he doesn’t want to project his desires on this child.  
“We could always ask Google, you know.” Jaehyun chirps.

That’s basically how they end up hurtling names back and forth while Taeyong prepares a meal for the night. Jaehyun is standing near the counter where his laptop is, scrolling through a list of baby names various blogs give them in hopes that something will catch their eye. The unnamed baby rests on Jaehyun's other arm, his muscles getting used to the weight of having had to carry him around for the past few days now.  
“What about Daehyun?” Jaehyun reads the name on the list out loud.  
“Uh, no.” Taeyong switches the stove on to low heat as the sundubu-jjigae starts to boil, grabbing a spoon and scooping a good amount of the broth before he brings it to his lips. He smacks his lips together a few times, furrowing his eyebrows at the taste of it before deciding he needs a second opinion. So he takes another scoop, hands coming under the spoon to avoid any spills on the floor before he makes his way to Jaehyun.  
“Junhui?” The latter reads another one on the list, spotting Taeyong coming up to him with the spoonful of tofu stew broth. Jaehyun turns his head a little sideways, slurping on the warm broth. His eyes never leave his computer.  
“Needs more chili pepper,” he blurts out. Taeyong too, is looking at the laptop now, his eyes searching for a name that might pique his interest.  
“Ooh what about that one? Jinhoo,” he points somewhere at the bottom of the list.  
“Veto, Taeho?”  
“Tacky.”  
“Minjeong,” Jaehyun scrolls a little bit further.  
“Isn’t that a girl’s name?” Jaehyun shrugs, his other hand coming up to hold the baby with both arms now as it’s starting to feel sore. Taeyong notices this, and his hands dart out to offer to carry the baby himself. Jaehyun hands him over without protest.  
“Set the table, I’ll check if his diapers are soiled.” Taeyong takes the babe to the living room couch, setting him down gently with a tiny pillow behind his head and two little bolsters on either side of the couch. Jaehyun got them as a set with a few other blankets in the local department store.  
Taeyong has this paranoid instinct to check his diapers constantly, not wanting to keep his bottom dirty for too long or he might get a rash or something. He hasn’t exactly gotten the hang of feeling the diapers from the outside to see if they’re soiled yet, and there’s really no difference between a fresh pair and one that’s been peed on, except when there’s shit in there, cause you could definitely tell from the smell.  
Jaehyun enters the living room carrying the side dishes and bowls of rice. He sets them down on the coffee table right in front of Taeyong.  
“We’re gonna need to buy that crib soon, you know.” Taeyong mutters, making sure the little one is safely tucked in between his little pillows before he dives in on their dinner.  
"I can't withdraw that much money from my account yet or my mom will get suspicious," Jaehyun says before chomping down on a spoonful of seasoned spinach.  
"Also since I just bought one too many diapers and clothes… my trust fund won't be of much help in the next few weeks," he purses his lips at the thought.  
"Not to worry, I have that summer job at the ice cream place near the school," Taeyong grumbles.  
"Are you starting this week?"  
"Mmm, the pay is bi-weekly so we can get by."  
"Do we still have enough of his formula, though?"  
"Yeah, there's still more than half a can. We'll be fine, Jaehyun." Taeyong reassures.  
"I just…" Jaehyun pauses from eating, sitting straight up as he hesitates.  
"I'm just worried this might be the wrong decision you know. I mean I don't regret taking him in, but I don't wanna cause him more harm than good."  
Taeyong acknowledges, nods his head in agreement. That was his exact point when he opposed taking this baby in, and he's glad Jaehyun gets it now. But instead of rubbing it in, Taeyong lets it go and reassures the younger that they'll be fine. As long as it's the two of them working together to fend for the baby's needs, they'll be fine.  
\--  
Taeyong arrives to work early on the first few days. He makes sure to keep track of time despite being busy at home taking care of their nameless baby, and with Jaehyun, everything goes smoothly without a hitch. He goes to work to earn money — which was previously for him to buy a new gaming PC — but now he’s happy he can help the younger in other ways instead of just changing diapers and bathing their newborn.  
The ice cream shop isn’t as packed in his first week, but the summer heat hits the following week and before he knows it he’s coming home late and exhausted after a whole day of serving ice cream to at least 200 people everyday. Jaehyun jolts awake at 10pm every night to serve the other his dinner.  
On one particular night, Taeyong finds him lightly dozing off on the couch while the newborn is tucked safely in his arms. A fond smile works its way into Taeyong’s lips as he stares at the sight, Jaehyun is great with kids, may it be rowdy 5-year-olds or quiet newborns—that much he knew.  
He quietly slips his arms under the youngling, careful not to startle either of them as he takes the nameless baby in his arms. The little human in his arms doesn’t budge, continuing to sleep despite the intrusion, but Jaehyun does and before long his eyes are fluttering open and he’s squinting at the figure before him.  
“Hyung,” he looks around the room still dazed. “You’re here. I’ll go prepare your dinner,” Jaehyun gets up immediately despite having only woken up. He serves the kimchi jjigae while Taeyong puts the baby down in the bedroom. When the older comes back to the kitchen and he sits down on the chair, Jaehyun is still in the process of serving him a bowl of rice. So he takes that opportunity to rest his head on the counter, a quick shut eye to soothe the ache in his eyes.  
He and Jaehyun had been friends for 6 years now. They met in high school when they had a class together and Johnny—a mutual friend of theirs thought it would be funny to pull a prank on their class bully. The three of them teamed up together to oil an entire classroom floor after Taeyong places a notice outside of their actual classroom, saying classes would be moved to the inconspicuous, wetter-than-normal classroom.  
Just the mere fact that the guy fell for it still gets Taeyong laughing 'till today.The door to their actual classroom wasn't even locked when they posted the notice outside, and they were all quietly waiting inside to see if their plan would work. Nevertheless, they all got to watch said bully twirl around the classroom (albeit not so gracefully) and fall flat on his face at least 3 times.  
The three of them did end up getting detention after that, but they didn't regret it one bit, if the way they smacked each other wheezing outside the principal's office wasn't proof enough.  
The rest was history from there. They pulled a few more (tiny) pranks on some other assholes in high school, but nothing could top the first one with which they became known for. The three of them became pretty close after that; hanging out at each other's places whenever they could (and they did so a lot), having weekend game nights, and sneaking out to go to parties with Johnny's college friends.  
When they discussed plans for college, Johnny reveals he has to go to a university 2 hours away from town, one where his brother was currently at. They were disappointed to say the least, but when Jaehyun found out that Taeyong would be going to the same university as him, he forces Taeyong to live in their (sort of empty and alternate) house located near campus.  
Taeyong thought it was a neat idea. Living with your best friend in a house that was a 10 minute walk away from campus sounded so inviting. That is until Jaehyun insisted he doesn't pay rent. Jaehyun's mom wasn't too happy about it, but what could she do? This was his son's best friend, and the house was barren anyway so there was no point in making Taeyong go through the hassle of looking for money just to pay it off.  
"Hyung, you okay?" Jaehyun gingerly places a hand on Taeyong's shoulder and the older slowly looks up from where his head is placed on top of his arms.  
"Yeah, just a little tired." Taeyong covers his face with his palms for a moment, willing the sleepiness and exhaustion away from his face so as not to worry the younger. He sighs one last time into his hands before patting his cheeks awake, facing the younger and giving a reassuring smile.  
The kimchi jjigae doesn't look as hot as he expected it to be. Jaehyun probably cooked it a few hours ago before he got here.  
"I'm sorry if it's not that hot anymore." Jaehyun takes the seat right across him.  
"I got really hungry and just decided to eat earlier."  
"You don't have to wait up for me every night, Jaehyun."  
The younger shrugs, "I always eat with you," the solemnity in his voice makes Taeyong stare, his left hand coming up to fix the chopsticks in his right hand. Jaehyun looks small as he puts both his hands in between his thighs, seemingly hesitant to say whatever's on his mind.  
"Plus, it's a little lonely in here. The baby really doesn't make that much noise. He just kind of sleeps and poops all day."  
Taeyong chuckles at that. "The baby which we still haven't named yet." Jaehyun's laughter follows suit.  
"We should just combine our names," Taeyong says nonchalantly as he takes a sip of the kimchi jjigae, and the younger is rendered silent when it registers in his mind.  
"Really?"  
"Yeah, really. We can't find any other good names. I think it's just right that we name him after us since we're going to raise him anyway," Taeyong chews silently as he looks back up at the younger.  
"I like Hyuntae. Has a nice ring to it."  
Jaehyun can only stare back at him in mild shock as the older chews on his food.  
"Yeah, okay… Okay, we'll call him Hyuntae," Taeyong smiles at the younger, feeling a sense of relief flood his body and it suddenly feels like the tiredness is gone from his limbs.  
"Oh and," Taeyong reaches for something on the front pocket of his hoodie, pulling out a stark white envelope.  
"We're finally getting that crib."  
A wide grin breaks out from both of them when Taeyong holds the envelope up full of cash. It's been an exhausting 2 weeks to say the least, but this feeling of getting their baby something he needs and something both him and Jaehyun have been wanting for weeks, is the most rewarding feeling in the world.  
\--  
Taeyong has to admit, seeing Jaehyun cradling Hyuntae around his arms with a baby carrier has to be the most adorable sight he has ever laid his eyes on. His one hand is supporting the back of the baby's head while the other is gingerly resting on the child's torso as they walk around the department store of the nearest mall to pick out a crib.  
Jaehyun insisted they shouldn't use the baby carrier just yet since Hyuntae was still 2 months old, and he probably needs sturdy arms to hold him up instead of a carrier, but Taeyong just clicks his tongue at him for showing off.  
They need something to hold the baby up without them tiring themselves in the process, because who knows how long they'll be stuck in here choosing a crib. Especially with my indecisiveness, Taeyong adds. Jaehyun just rolls his eyes before giving in and wearing the carrier.  
Now, Taeyong did offer to help, but the younger insisted that he didn't want to tire Taeyong out especially with how knackered he's been with work for the past two weeks. And well, Jaehyun works out. Taeyong… Taeyong is strong, but he doesn't have that kind of stamina to hold out for too long.  
"I know you said no stereotypical baby boy colors but look!" Jaehyun points to a crib they're approaching on the far right. "Look at this pastel blue! It's so pretty, hyung."  
Taeyong could almost see Jaehyun's eyes sparkle at the sight of the crib as he sighs dreamily.  
Said crib stands with an intricately engraved headboard and slim wedges all covered in an almost dreamy pastel blue. On top of the headboard is a single piece of wood that holds a sort of curtain over the crib that cascades down either ends, printed still in blue, with patterned little white stars.  
"It's cute, but this probably costs more than what we can afford Jaehyunnie," Taeyong squints down at the price tag and well would you look at that, he's right.  
"How about that one instead," Taeyong points to another crib. This time a matte black one with plain bars and no headboard (probably going for a modern minimalistic look) and Jaehyun winces at the sight.  
"Hyung, we're buying a baby's crib not a medieval torture bed," the older only pouts to which Jaehyun laughs.  
That's when Taeyong spots the white crib a few steps from them to their right.  
“Hey, do you guys need some help?” a saleslady comes up to them at just the right moment.  
“Yeah, can we take a look at that crib over there?”  
The crib stands a little over Taeyong’s waist with a mattress hoisted up halfway of the crib. The headboard is a simple little curve on either side, and when Taeyong inches forward to take a closer look he sees something embedded on the interior of the crib’s frame.  
“What is that?” Jaehyun, who seems to have noticed the same thing, voices out before he could.  
“Those are glow-in-the-dark whales embedded on the wood itself,” the saleslady says. “We have three variations of this crib here, the other two have flowers and cars on them.”  
Taeyong takes a step back when he finishes inspecting the woodwork.  
“Jaehyun, it matches the mobile.”  
“The mobile, in your room. It had whales on it didn’t it?” Taeyong looks back at the younger.  
Jaehyun stares at him for a few seconds. “You saw that?”  
“Yeah, it was pretty.” Taeyong blurts out, and it’s silent between them for a moment as Jaehyun stares at Taeyong and Taeyong studies the crib with a fond smile.  
“It’s within our budget, Jaehyun I think this is it.”  
Jaehyun snaps out of his thoughts at that. “Do you like it?” the older is looking at him again, and for a split second Jaehyun thinks he’s dissociating with his body and getting lost somewhere in the ocean at the sight of Taeyong’s eyes. The smile the older plasters doesn’t just reach his cheeks or his ears. The twinkle in his eyes and the delight his eye smile radiates is so beautiful that it punches Jaehyun in the gut, makes him feel all woozy inside.  
“Yeah, it’s beautiful.” Jaehyun swallows, the lump in his throat making it hard to properly say the words. It is beautiful. So darn beautiful.  
“You guys make a cute couple,” the saleslady’s voice has both of them snapping their heads in her direction. There’s a little mischief and adoration in her voice, and Jaehyun doesn’t know what to say to that at all.  
“W-we’re not—” Taeyong motions back and forth between him and Jaehyun. “We’re just taking care of this baby we’re not really—”  
“So would you like to pay in cash?” the lady cuts him off seemingly purposefully; knowing what’s going on but not paying it any heed, and Taeyong purses his lips before replying, “Cash.”  
Jaehyun can only chuckle nervously at the side.  
\--  
"There," Jaehyun clenches his jaw as he tightens the last screw on the upper frame of the crib, the whole thing finally coming into shape now.  
"Push it back a little so the mobile's on the center," Taeyong commands as he lightly bounces Hyuntae in his arms.  
Jaehyun does as he's told, and before long they have set up Hyuntae's crib without a hitch.  
A smile creeps up on both their lips at the sight without even knowing. Taeyong's eyes almost sparkle with how beautiful the room looks like this. With how much they treasure the baby in his arms that they sacrificed a significant amount of summer break taking care of him.  
"Is this okay, hyung?" Jaehyun turns to him, settling the screwdriver down on the toolbox.  
"Yeah, I think it looks great. Why, do you wanna put it somewhere else?"  
"No, I meant…" Jaehyun trails off, glancing at Hyuntae in the older's arms.  
"Weren't you gonna spend that money on something else? Or I don't know, save it? Is it okay that we're buying this crib with that money?"  
Taeyong doesn't know what to say for a second. He never told Jaehyun what that money was for, he remembers now. He doesn't know if he should. The younger might feel guilty if he tells him it was for a new PC, so he thinks of saying he was just saving it. But that's probably worse, a gaming PC sounded less important and more short-sighted than saving money for the future. Eitherway, Jaehyun was worried about it. So Taeyong opts to reassure him instead of making up excuses.  
"I want to take care of Hyuntae, too, Jaehyunnie."  
"Not just because we're roommates and we're sharing the burden. It's because I want to," Taeyong smiles at him. Barely there, barely a few milliseconds before his eyes avert down to the babe in his hands, and then he's walking to the crib, bending down and settling him in the middle of it.  
"He does look like he belongs there," Jaehyun comments, walking closer to the crib. They're standing side-by-side now.  
"He does, doesn't he."  
\---  
"Hyung, come take a look. Someone sent us a package."  
"That better not be another baby," Taeyong warns as he makes his way to the living room.  
Hyuntae is asleep now, and Taeyong has just finished sterilizing his bottles and throwing their laundry in the washer. Jaehyun insists he does it himself, but the older tells him it's fine, he's been doing most of the housework since Taeyong started working and he wants to make it up to him.  
"No, it's a package from Johnny-hyung," Taeyong settles on the couch next to the younger who's eagerly sliding a cutter through the packing tape sealing the box.  
"Why do I have a feeling it's gonna be something stupid- No, wait!" Jaehyun's hands are midway to opening the box when Taeyong alerts him. He glances over to the older with an incredulous look.  
"What?" Jaehyun deadpans.  
"It could be a prank, something could blow up in our face."  
"We're not 16, hyung."  
"Still. Just open it slowly," Jaehyun complies nonetheless, just to get the older to calm down.  
"Keychains? Is this his way of rubbing it in? That we're never gonna get out of this boring town?"  
"No, Jaehyunnie. Look," Taeyong picks up a little seashell keychain.  
"It's from Jeongdongjin."  
"2017 Jeongdongjin? When my mom nagged the living daylights out of me because we camped out there to see the sunrise the next day? That Jeongdongjin?"  
"I think so," Taeyong flips the keychain to find a date, any indication that it was bought that same day. But he finds nothing.  
"To be fair, you deserved all that nagging."  
Jaehyun pouts, furrowing his eyebrows at him.  
"We told you we couldn't camp out cause your mom would kill us, but you insisted!"  
"Of course I insisted, Jeongdongjin sunrises are the freaking best! Why would I let that opportunity pass!"  
“Oh, here’s another one.” Jaehyun’s hands dart out to grab another keychain, this time it’s a surfboard keychain. Mallipo Beach. The bright, painted letters read.  
“It was when we had a campfire. You kept clinging to me that night, it was so annoying.” Taeyong huffs. That night in Mallipo Beach was something to remember. They spent all day with a few friends from school learning how to surf and exploring the beach and some popular local food. He and Jaehyun personally loved the grilled eel, Johnny preferred the gaenggaemi muchim.  
At night they all huddled around the shore and set up a campfire, to which they all got slightly scolded for because apparently, it wasn’t allowed. But Johnny—bless his extrovertedness and alluring charms, got them all out of trouble by practically begging the owner of the resort to make an exception just this once.  
At some point in the night though, the sea breeze started to get really cold. And Taeyong was, as Jaehyun put it, very warm. So the younger kept him close and cuddled to his side throughout the whole night, the feeling of the uncomfortable rigid bark of the log they were sitting on suddenly fading from their minds as they enjoyed the quiet hum of the summer night.  
It was nostalgic, to say the least. He misses Johnny, and the chaotic circumstances the three of them always somehow end up in when they’re together. But more than the extravagant hangouts at popular tourist destinations, he just misses being with his two best friends during mundane days when they’re at the tteokbokki stands down the street. He misses the casual sleepovers and weekend game nights at Jaehyun’s place because he’s not allowed to sleep anywhere else. He misses being young and carefree, and Jaehyun must have noticed as he looks down at the surfboard keychain in his hand, because the next thing he knows, the younger announces that they should call Johnny and maybe catch up a little, because they have a lot to tell him about what’s happened in the past few weeks. Taeyong can't quite recall when was the last time they called the other, so he agrees.  
Johnny is exactly the same as he was 3 years ago, only taller, broader, and more muscular. Maybe not exactly the same, but the way he talks, his gestures, and his smile hasn’t changed the slightest. Taeyong and Jaehyun both see it through the albeit small screen of the laptop perched on top of the coffee table.  
“Hyung! You look like a horse!” Oh, and he grew his hair out too, that changed.  
“Screw you, Jung. You don’t know anything about fashion.”  
Taeyong agrees. He can’t even remember the last time the younger put gel on his hair.  
“Hyung, I think it looks great,” Taeyong beams, and Johnny smiles at the sentiment. They’ve always had that kind of friendship despite being there for chaos most of the time. Taeyong relies on Johnny, and Johnny takes care of him in return.  
“Hey,” Jaehyun lightly elbows the older beside him. “You’re making me look like the bad guy here.” Taeyong merely chuckles at the interjection.  
“Did you guys get my gift?” Johnny perks up, and both of their undivided attention is on the screen now.  
“When did you start collecting these,” Jaehyun’s hands dart out to grab at the small tin box. “This is so sappy, hyung.” He adds.  
“I was only going to keep them for myself, you know to remind me of the good times.” The corner of Taeyong’s mouth curves into a small smile at the thought, that’s such a Johnny thing to do.  
“I started a little after we became friends, but I only thought of buying extra souvenirs for you guys when we went to Jeondongjin. Figured you would want to keep those memories too, since we got a lot of scolding from Jaehyun’s mom because of it.” They all smile at the fond memory.  
“I forgot to send them to you though, before I moved out.”  
“Why is there only one keychain for the two of us, though?” Taeyong inquires, and Johnny goes silent for a second before hesitantly answering, “Well, I always thought you guys would be together no matter the circumstances.”  
The air is silent. Jaehyun and Taeyong both go silent at their friend’s words. Taeyong risks a glance at the younger’s direction and sure enough, he seems to be thinking about it discreetly as well.  
“Wasn’t wrong, though.” Johnny adds with a shrug, as if the tension in the air wasn’t already so palpable they could practically feel it bursting through the proximity of their bodies. So Taeyong breaks the silence and saves them all from the embarrassment. They cannot be having a conversation with something iffy in the air when they haven’t talked to each other in years.  
“Speaking of packages, we got one ourselves.” Taeyong’s eyes practically twinkle when he announces. There’s an obvious shift in Jaehyun’s mood, too when he changes the topic and he pats himself in the back for thinking fast.  
“Oh? What kind?”  
As if on cue, Hyuntae cries out from the bedroom and this time, it’s Jaehyun who shoots up and tells Taeyong he’s going to get the baby on instinct.  
“Baby? What baby?” Johnny’s question falls on deaf ears when Jaehyun comes back with a fussy Hyuntae in hand. He lightly bounces the baby in his arms, walking up to Taeyong who’s coos are ready to meet said infant.  
The person on the screen is forgotten for a few moments when both of their attention is on the crying babe in Jaehyun’s arms. Taeyong’s first instinct, of course, is to give him his formula. The bottle is a little cold now, and he has to shake it a few times before he feeds him the milk. Hyuntae doesn’t seem pleased with it though, as the next thing they know, he’s spitting out the contents of the bottle and Jaehyun makes a sound so as to alert Taeyong, now fumbling for the small towel hung on the couch’s armrest to wipe the wetness of the infant’s mouth.  
Taeyong opts for the pacifier this time, seeing as the babe is still not hungry. That quiets his crying for a few moments and they both hold their breaths as they wait for him to spit it out and cry some more, but he doesn’t. They both heave a sigh of relief. They don’t have to change his diaper just yet.  
Johnny watches as the scene unfolds in front of him with a bemused grin.  
“Are you guys babysitting for someone? Whose baby is that?” he inches closer to the screen to get a better look, and that’s when both of them remember their best friend is still there.  
Jaehyun turns to look at the camera, chuckling (just a little) nervously before admitting. “We adopted him. Someone left him at our door and now we’re just taking care of him, I guess.” Taeyong doesn’t even wanna see the reaction they’re getting out from that statement alone, but he braces himself as he turns to the screen as well.  
Johnny is… shocked, to say the least. Also horrified, and amused all at the same time. That’s the best interpretation Taeyong can give from the way he looks through the thousands of pixels on the LED screen. His mouth is slightly ajar, and he can’t quite believe what he’s hearing that he’s even laughing now for some reason.  
“Someone left a baby at your door. And you’re taking care of it now,” Johnny guffaws.  
“Well, he.It’s a boy, hyung.” Jaehyun corrects as a matter of factly. “We named him Hyuntae,”  
“You named him—” the sound of a chair creaking from the other side of the screen resounds through the speakers when Johnny pushes his chair back in disbelief of the highest order, and he rakes his hands through his hair.  
“You guys that’s crazy, this is crazy. You’re in college for goodness sake,” their friend’s mouth hangs open at the revelation. Taeyong thought their close friends and family would be surprised if they ever told them news like this, but not to this extent. He guesses it’s warranted, granted the way he first acted when Jaehyun decided he wasn’t going to let Hyuntae go. It’s a huge responsibility for 2 college roommates. But what else could they do?  
“He’s 2 months old, hyung. What could we have done,” Taeyong looks at Jaehyun, who apparently has the same train of thought as he does. The younger is fixing Hyuntae’s receiving blanket now, tucking in loose ends and making sure he’s warm and cozy. Taeyong’s stomach flutters at the sight. He doesn’t know if it’s the way Hyuntae is cuddled meekly in Jaehyun’s arms or this very paternal side of the younger getting to him, but he can’t stop staring.  
“Well, I mean, you guys really do look like a couple now.”  
"A married couple if I might add," Jaehyun clears his throat awkwardly at the statement, bouncing Hyuntae in his arms again to fill the silence with something.  
Taeyong doesn’t quite know what to say to that either, so he stays silent, willing himself to think of a different topic again. He decides to probe Johnny on his new life away from his hometown. He figures focusing the conversation on not them will take their minds off of the little human in the room.  
Sure enough, they fall into a lighthearted conversation about Johnny’s rendezvous from the other side of the country. He talks about how the girls in their university have been lining up to get his phone number, and how he can barely attend parties in peace when someone’s always trying to take him to the bedroom upstairs.  
They both call bullshit.  
“I’m not kidding! You guys would probably end up in the same predicament too if you came here. You two don’t look so bad yourself,” Johnny chuckles. Getting out of this boring town would’ve been the dream if he was being honest. He’s lived here for so long he can practically point out every single crack on the road and remember every building that has ever risen and fallen over the years in this godforsaken town. Only, Taeyong doesn’t wanna leave. It’s been boring, sure, but if he had left this town to live somewhere more exciting, he wouldn’t have found Hyuntae. They both wouldn’t have. And taking care of him, watching him grow and making sure he gets the best care from his newfound parents has gotta be more exciting than any other chaotic college party ever will be.  
“I’m glad you guys didn’t, though.” Johnny adds. “You know, leave town.” He pauses as he looks through the blinking light of the webcam. “Cause that’s a really pretty baby.”  
Taeyong can’t stop the laugh that escapes him, and neither can Jaehyun. Johnny’s right. Hyuntae is in fact, a very pretty baby.  
\--  
“Hyung, do you have work tomorrow?”  
“Yeah, why? You got somewhere to go?” Taeyong mutters, patting Hyuntae’s back lightly as he holds him up on his shoulder. He’s just had his formula, and Taeyong recently learned from Google (thank the technology gods) that burping a baby is a must to make them feel comfortable after feeding in order to pass gas.  
“Yeah, Sicheng and I are enrolling early for the next semester. There’s this professor we really wanna be under.” the younger answers as he folds the last of Hyuntae’s clothes in his lap.  
“Sure, yeah. I can ask Taeil-hyung to take my shift.”  
Taeil is a new part-timer in the ice cream parlor Taeyong works at. Apparently, he’s worked there before in the last 2 summers and has had the owner’s favor for a long time. They usually wouldn’t need 2 part-timers but since they both need the money, the owner let it be just this once. The parlor was getting more and more customers since they did a little renovation on the interior of the shop, add the fact that the roads have been fixed so it was a win-win.  
"Okay, I can handle Hyuntae alone," Taeyong bears a reassuring smile. Jaehyun smiles back. It's fleeting, and it was barely there, but Taeyong swears he could feel his heart hammer in his chest for a second.  
This is becoming a problem.

"What… the heck," Taeyong enters Jaehyun's room with a scowl when he smells the foul odor of… baby poop. Sweet, mushy, nasty baby poop. The smell is so strong he almost feels like he's being punched in the nose by the scent.  
"Oh, sweet Jesus."  
Just then, Jaehyun enters the room, too. Facing a dilemma he's been all too familiar with for the past month.  
"Close the door, hyung. I'll take care of this," Jaehyun orders, motioning for the older to go outside, but Taeyong doesn't comply.  
"No, no let me handle this." Taeyong walks up to the crib. "If I'm gonna take care of him alone tomorrow, I might as well learn the basics, right?"  
Jaehyun just stares at him, raising an eyebrow at the newfound bravery.  
"Are you sure?" the younger asks one last time. Taeyong insists.  
Now, Taeyong swears he's had worse than this. He's cleaned up toilets in high school as a punishment for roughhousing and scraped gum off the underside of nasty fast food tables. He's had moldy socks thrown at his face in the locker room for shits and giggles, and he's taken out hundreds of trash bags smelling like absolute shit from all the places he's worked at.  
But absolutely nothing could have prepared him for the sight of the magnificent golden brown hue of shit inside Hyuntae's diaper. And it's not just any shit, it's wet shit. Like hot-melted-chocolate fresh off the pan shit.  
"So, can you handle that?" Jaehyun jeers almost sardonically.  
Of course he can handle that. It's just poop. He himself does it all the time. How bad can a baby's be?  
Turns out, pretty bad. The melted chocolate gets everywhere when Taeyong lays his hands on the edges of the diaper to snatch it from under Hyuntae's bottom and fold it up neatly. He does it very slowly, in fear of getting it everywhere—which of course, backfired because the amount of water in that thing could practically make for a pond that it started seeping out the side cracks of the diaper and eventually started making its way out the damn thing.  
Luckily, Jaehyun caught wind (like the expert he is, fine, Taeyong admits it now) before it could touch the beddings, holding up a hand to catch it from under where Taeyong is holding the diaper up.  
There's a slick sound when the beautiful chocolate excrement leaves the diaper and lands on Jaehyun's hand, effectively and disgustingly catching it with one hand.  
Nothing is said between the two for a whole 5 seconds, just staring at the hand with poop on it. Jaehyun doesn't wanna hear it, Taeyong doesn't wanna see it.  
Jaehyun turns to look at Taeyong just when Taeyong turns to look at him as well. A very loud,  
"Ewww!" followed by gagging noises and Jaehyun practically sprinting to the bathroom to get rid of the foul smelling shit in his hand. Taeyong immediately throws the diaper onto the designated trash bin, the slight phobia of germs getting to him the longer the smell of baby poop is stuck in his hands as he holds back another gag.  
So maybe he can't handle diaper change that well just yet. But it's fine. It's a learning experience, he can do it, he's always been a fast learner. This is nothing, he can survive being alone tomorrow with Hyuntae.  
He's pretty much chanting the same words of reassurance to himself now, convincing the voice in his head that it’llbe fine. It's just for one day.  
\--  
"—And also the pacifier, you have to sterilize it before you use it, alright? The formula is in my room and you have to make sure the milk isn't too cold or too hot or else he won't like it."  
“Yes, yes, you’ve told me a million times, Jaehyunnie. Just go!” Taeyong shoos the younger away with one last wave. There’s a nagging feeling behind his head, something he can’t quite put his finger on, but he pushes it away.  
Jaehyun’s been cooped up inside this house for the past month trying to take care of Hyuntae by himself (Taeyong was barely there, who was he kidding). He deserves this much needed break even just for a few hours of the day.  
Taeyong busies himself with cleaning the entire house for a few hours while Hyuntae is asleep. It’s been a while since he’s sincerely scrubbed this entire house clean and not just the usual sweeping or dusting. He’s forgotten the scent of Febreeze in the air and the satisfaction that comes with seeing their furniture so spotless.  
Of course, he makes a mental note to wipe the dust away in Jaehyun’s room with a wet cloth instead of using the usual feather duster so as not to get dust everywhere and irritate the sleeping infant in the crib. A few more hours into cleaning and showering later is when Hyuntae wakes up, just in time for lunch.  
Taeyong breezes through the entire thing without much hassle. He feeds Hyuntae his formula, makes sure to sterilize everything before using them and double checks to see that the milk is just the right temperature. Hyuntae isn’t a picky child either, thank god. So the rest of the afternoon goes fairly well for both of them.  
At some point in their playtime, Taeyong realizes that Hyuntae doesn’t have much toys to play with and they should probably buy him some if they wanna keep him occupied and well, happy. “Do you want that? Does our baby Hyuntae want that?” Taeyong does his best to imitate a baby-talking voice, all proving to be worth it when Hyuntae smiles right back at him.  
Taeyong’s heart literally melts at the sight. Babies seriously cannot be as cute as this, Hyuntae cannot be this cute, it’s too bad for his health. He thinks he might have to get his heart replaced every other year if he’s to take care of him for the rest of his life. How could parents handle this much cuteness? Taeyong continues his spiel in his head as he looks down at Hyuntae inside the crib. He could live like this. Going out of his way to give Hyuntae the best life and making sure he has everything he needs. Helping Jaehyun around the house and taking care of the newborn.  
Some days won’t be easy. Especially when the semester starts, and when school load gets heavy, but he can make time, he can work his way around taking care of Hyuntae. Hyuntae can be a part of his life, for as long as he can. He’s going to make sure of that.  
\--  
“So you’re just going to adopt him now?” Sicheng inquires in pure disbelief, as Jaehyun would have predicted.  
“Yep.”  
“But hyung, you’re in college.”  
“I’m aware, Sicheng.”  
The younger stops in his tracks, Jaehyun beside him following suit.  
“You do realize how big of a responsibility this is, right? You may have it easy now since it’s summer vacation, but-”  
“Spare me the lecture, Sicheng.” Jaehyun walks forward, ignoring the oncoming nagging he knows he’s gonna get.  
“I’ve had enough of it for the past month, trust me.”  
“Besides, Taeyong-hyung is helping me. We’ll get a babysitter or something,” Jaehyun considers it. He hasn’t thought that much far ahead in fear of overthinking things. But is a sitter for a baby so young really ideal? Where are they going to find someone trustworthy enough to leave Hyuntae with?  
“We’ll cross that bridge when we get there. Taeyong-hyung and I will figure it out.” He says with finality. Sicheng lets it go.  
He’s terrified of what’s to come for both him and his hyung, shouldering a responsibility they can’t possibly handle alone like this. But more than anything, he’s glad he has his hyung with him in these trying times. He’s glad it’s been the two of them working together to get through it, he can’t even imagine anyone else by his side at this point. He doesn’t know what he would do without Taeyong.  
For such a long time it had always just been him, Taeyong, and Johnny. But the three of them being together felt like it was decades ago. Like a distant memory he could barely muster inside his brain if he tried.  
For such a long time, it had been him and Taeyong. Living under one roof, making excuses for each other when they couldn’t turn up for classes ‘cause either were too hungover, doing groceries together, fixing things around the house together, eating together, brushing their teeth together. Jaehyun remembers even the most mundane things they did together now. It’s ridiculous how attached to the hip they are. But he guesses that was normal for two people who have been best friends forever and are now pretty much living together.  
That said, Taeyong wasn’t going to leave him… right? Not anytime soon, he thinks. He hopes.  
Is Taeyong going to up and leave when things get rough? Hyuntae is only 2 months old, a lot can happen while he’s growing up. Not to mention the financial, mental, and physical strain this child is going to leave on both of them.  
"To be fair, he's been there for you for like 6 or so years now, hyung. Give him some credit." Sicheng voices out right when they arrive at the samgyupsal place. It's a little after dark now, and he probably should be home by now looking out for Hyuntae, but he hasn't seen Sicheng all summer. And all he wanted was a couple of drinks over some grilled pork belly, so who was he to say no?  
"I don't know what to expect, Sicheng. Anything could happen, really." The younger hollers at the counter for some grilled pork belly and 2 bottles of soju, a loud 'okay' in response and they carry on with their conversation.  
"I get that he was only hesitant about it at first because we’re not financially ready. But you know… I was still kind of hurt by it."  
Sicheng nods in acknowledgement. "You know you can always talk to Taeyong-hyung about it, right?"  
"No," a pause. "I don't want him to be burdened by this. If he wants to leave then…" What then? "Then he can."  
Jaehyun looks Sicheng dead in the eye, a sort of melancholy to his voice as he trails off at the end. He doesn’t want Taeyong to leave, of course. But if he wants to, who is he to stop him?  
\--  
Taeyong abruptly wakes when he hears Hyuntae’s cry from inside the crib. It’s almost instinct now, everytime he senses the littlest distress from him he bolts up in alert, ready to attend to the baby’s needs.  
He’s fallen asleep in Jaehyun’s room, where Hyuntae’s crib is of course. Just to make sure he’s close enough when Hyuntae needs something and absolutely not because of the fact that Jaehyun’s bed smells so much like him. He’s been here a thousand times, but actually sleeping here, getting wrapped in the scent that is Jaehyun. He can’t remember the last time they slept close enough (in one of their sleepovers with Johnny, of course) that he can actually smell the other.  
Taeyong shakes the thought away from his head, that sounded so weird coming from him. Why would he think about his best friend like that?  
The answer dies in his head before it can even become a complete thought when Hyuntae’s cries escalate a pitch higher, the shrill sound sobering him up quickly as he gets up from the comfort of Jaehyun’s bed.  
Taeyong's first instinct is to check his diapers, feeding him his formula when he finds that it's spotless. Hyuntae doesn't quiet down though, so he tries the pacifier, but to no avail. Taeyong was feeling a little panicky now. He racks his brain for anything else he needs to check, something he might have forgotten. He checks the temperature of the room, makes sure Hyuntae isn't too hot or too cold and checks if he's sweating.  
And that's when he notices the reddening on the baby's cheeks. He's pulling his legs up now, too. That can't be good. If a baby's not crying because of the usual diaper, formula, and pacifier, there has to be something wrong.  
So he calls Jaehyun to ask for backup. What should he do? Is there something he's forgotten? Has he fucked up taking care of a 2 month old baby in the span of a few hours?  
Taeyong's hands start to tremble when Jaehyun doesn't pick up 2,3 tries later. So he focuses on the task at hand, lifting Hyuntae up in his arms in hopes that he'll calm down when he’s cradled. Babies like that, yeah they like being held up.  
It doesn’t seem to help the baby calm down. Taeyong is running out of options now, and he’s feeling very anxious about this. His whole body trembles at the thought that he might have fucked up somehow. What did he do? Is it something he did? Is it something he didn’t do? He has no way of knowing. Jaehyun is the more knowledgeable man when it comes to these things. He’s simply the right-hand man. An assistant, an aide, he’s not supposed to be taking the wheel.  
At least if he was driving alone he would only be risking his own life, but now he’s responsible for whatever might happen to Hyuntae because of his carelessness. And he won’t be able to forgive himself if something really does happen to him.  
\--  
A few more minutes of chit-chat later, their order finally arrives. Jaehyun stares at their table as the ahjumma sets up the pork belly and side dishes on the table, bottles of soju sit on Sicheng’s side as a feeling of unease settles at his stomach.  
Is he not hungry? Did he get indigestion earlier? He can’t quite pinpoint it, but the food looks so unappetizing. Maybe he shouldn’t have talked about the possibility of Taeyong literally leaving him earlier. Perhaps that’s what soured his mood and caused him to lose his appetite.  
Weirdly enough, he gets a nagging feeling at the back of his mind to check his phone. He hasn’t checked it since he left home this afternoon, so he pulls it out of his jacket pocket just to make the thought go away. And that’s when he sees it. 8 missed calls. 3 messages.  
‘Jaeyunnnie it’s hyuntae’  
‘We’re at themrgency rppm’  
‘Pleasr come quixk’  
The stool Jaehyun is sitting on meets the ground in a second as he stands up so abruptly and startles Sicheng from across him. He doesn’t waste another second before he’s running out of the tent in furious haste. He’s not sure whether he’s running in the right direction, he hopes he is. He can’t think too much about it, all his energy is directed into running and getting there as fast as he can with nothing else on his mind.  
The air is stale in his lungs, he can barely process his surroundings as he bumps into strangers’ shoulders on the sidewalk earning a few glares and ‘hey!’s as his body makes contact with theirs. But it’s not quite processing in his head. His ears are ringing now, he can’t hear anything they have to say. His arms feel sore as he cuts through the air running to the hospital in speeds he didn’t know he could. His sight is blurring, he doesn’t know if it’s because he’s barely blinking or the thought of Hyuntae being in danger is finally sinking into his head.  
Jaehyun bursts through the doors of the emergency room, panting heavily, sweating vigorously, as he weaves through the numerous occupied beds searching for one person in particular. Taeyong stands near the end of the room facing the bed where Hyuntae is being examined by a doctor, his feet nervously tapping on the floor as he anxiously bites on his fingernails.  
“Hyung.” Jaehyun’s heart crumbles at the sight of Taeyong red-eyed and stuffy.  
Taeyong runs to him in a mere second as soon as he sees him. The older all but crashes in his embrace when he opens his arms for him. Taeyong sobs in Jaehyun’s arms as he buries his face deeper in the black haired boy’s chest. Jaehyun can only hope he doesn’t hear his heart cracking as he comforts him through it.  
Jaehyun can only hold him close, patting and drawing circles down his back as he tries to calm him down. Taeyong’s hands find solace on the sides of Jaehyun’s jacket, his fists clutching for dear life on the flimsy fabric as sobs rack his body and Jaehyun rests his chin on top of his head, caging him, trying to make him feel as comforted as he can.  
“I-I didn’t know what to do,” Taeyong explains through the tears. “He was crying so much… I-I didn’t-”  
“It’s fine, hyung,” a reassuring pat on his back. “He’ll be fine.”  
Jaehyun has seen Taeyong cry many times. Over a romantic sappy movie, a video of a puppy getting to run for the first time with prosthetics, videos of family members on the internet reuniting after years of being apart. He’s seen Taeyong red-eyed from waterworks a million times over the past 6 years. But not this much, not the shaking uncontrollably, barely keeping himself together kind. It makes him realize just how much Hyuntae must mean to the older.  
“The doctor said it’s colic,” Taeyong pulls away, wiping at his tears when he tries to tell him. “That it’s normal for babies his age, and that we shouldn’t worry.”  
“Then why are you crying so much, hyung?” Taeyong laughs despite himself, willing his tears away as Jaehyun’s hands come up to wipe at them.  
“Did you run here?” Taeyong notices not a minute later. “Your hands are cold,” he takes the younger’s hands in his, feeling the cold skin against his own. It’s summer. But Jaehyun’s hands are cold and sweaty from running all the way here, probably from the nervousness of finding out that Hyuntae’s been hospitalized, too. Just as much as he was, probably more.  
Jaehyun lets him hold his hand, feeling the piercing cold wash away as Taeyong gently blows a hot breath onto them.  
“Let’s go see Hyuntae, yeah?” Jaehyun nods in acquiescence. The baby is quietly sleeping when the doctor finishes examining him as he tells them he’s perfectly fine. Colic is a common occurrence to babies of his age. They just have to put up with a few more days of Hyuntae being all fussy and irritable. Making adjustments to the environment and making sure he's comfortable can also help alleviate the symptoms of colic, like swaddling—Taeyong thought wrapping the receiving blanket too tight would do more harm than good, but he stands corrected. They apparently also have to make sure he’s constantly burped after being fed his formula. And on top of this, the doctor recommends changing said formula for better digestion and to reduce colic symptoms.  
“Has he been vaccinated yet?”  
A minute of silence ensues as Jaehyun and Taeyong look back and forth between each other.  
“No, he hasn’t.”  
“Well, I suggest you start as early as now. There are at least 5 vaccinations a 2 month old baby has to go through. And many more in the future.”  
Five vaccinations for a 2 month old baby. They both let the thought process in their heads. The thought of needles anywhere near Hyuntae scares Taeyong, but he knows it’s for his own good. He knows it’s for the better.  
Despite this, he whines to Jaehyun the day of the vaccination. Obviously, he absolutely cannot be the one holding him while they inject a big ass needle through the baby’s veins. He shouldn’t even be around when they get the vaccination because of how much he despises needles, but he wants to be there for memories’ sake. It’s Hyuntae’s first vaccination. Of course he should be there.  
“I can’t hold him, you know I hate needles!” Taeyong whines once more. Jaehyun only laughs at him, packing Hyuntae's bottle in a small bag they ought to bring with them in case he gets hungry or his diaper gets soiled.  
“Hyung, come on. It’ll be a more memorable experience for you and Hyuntae if you hold him.” Jaehyun is an idiot. Either that or he’s doing this out of pure entertainment.  
Taeyong whines with more intent this time, stomping his feet and pouting for the effect. "I seriously can't do it! Jaehyunnie, anything but this."  
Jaehyun stares at the pouting 23 year old man before him, he was ridiculous. He laughs again. There was something about his hyung whining to be let off from even holding a baby about to be vaccinated, not him, the baby, at the receiving end of the needle. And he was to only hold him for a few minutes.  
"Fine," Jaehyun gives in. "But you better hold him for the next ones. I can't do this forever, hyung"  
Taeyong thinks about that. The fact that Jaehyun thinks about spending a long time with him taking care of Hyuntae. This is really the path they're taking. And they're taking it together.  
He lifts the babe in his hands, guides him into the baby carrier wrapped around Jaehyun's torso, smoothing out the wrinkles in the younger's shirt as he does so. He looks back up at him, at his soft locks and warm summer glow, his prominent dimples and rose-colored cheeks.  
He's taking this path with Jaehyun, and he cannot be more ecstatic.  
\--  
Vaccination ends pretty abruptly, to Taeyong's surprise. The nurse was pretty fast in administering the shots, and he was a safe distance away from Jaehyun and Hyuntae when it was done. The first vaccine was pretty harmless — for Rotavirus they said, taken orally. The nurse assures them it has a sweet taste so he should be fine.  
But when the first needle was poked through Hyuntae's skin, that was when the waterworks started. Taeyong couldn't help but inch closer to where they were injecting him because it broke his heart to see Hyuntae hurt. And it was ridiculous 'cause it was for his own good anyway.  
Jaehyun only shakes his head in amusement when Taeyong starts cheering Hyuntae up by making funny faces as the nurse goes on with the other vaccines she has to administer. Hepatitis, Diphtheria, Tetanus, Polio— he's not too sure he remembers all of that correctly.  
The good news is, vaccination is free so they didn't have to pay for anything. But the thing is, they had to change Hyuntae's formula to something more tummy friendly in order to reduce symptoms of colic, and they still had almost half a can of his old formula. What a waste, Taeyong thinks. The new formula is significantly more expensive than the older one, too.  
And since the doctor said they had to put up with Hyuntae's crying for a few more days until colic symptoms subside, they've both been up most nights trying out every trick in the book to calm him down.  
Some nights, Taeyong would come home to Jaehyun swaddling Hyuntae in a receiving blanket, trying to hush him to sleep to no avail. Add the minor side effects from vaccination and the crying has them staying up all night for almost a whole week, all while Taeyong works at the ice cream parlor.  
"Jaehyunnie," Taeyong lightly pokes the younger's arm. He's fallen asleep in the couch after fixing breakfast for both of them while Taeyong prepares to leave for work.  
"Jaehyunnie." He shifts, "I need to go to work, watch Hyuntae for me alright?"  
Jaehyun only hums, he couldn't be bothered to wake up fully. But Taeyong knows he's going to bolt right up when he hears Hyuntae's cries.  
Taeyong doesn't know what prompts him to do it, maybe it's because he's seen all the hardwork Jaehyun has done in the past few days, maybe it's the way Jaehyun looks in his disheveled hair and pouting lips when he wakes him up, but Taeyong leans in, plants a soft kiss on the younger's forehead without any sort of warning, before taking his backpack and running off to work.  
Jaehyun's eyes flutter open, repudiation marring his face at the gesture. His heart is pounding so hard that he has to clamp a hand over his chest to calm it down.  
Taeyong has kissed him on the forehead before, many times. A thousand times. Taeyong was endearing like that. But it's never had him feeling like he can run a million miles from the adrenaline.  
His kisses have always been endearing, friendly and nothing more. This one too, meant nothing more. He shouldn't be feeling a certain way towards it that wasn't… friendly. It was a friendly gesture.  
He blames it on the lack of sleep, the bags under his eyes and the time of the day, apparently. His emotions get pretty heightened at the wrong place at the wrong time, kind of like how one would get an unprompted morning wood or something like that.  
He tries to justify his reaction to a mere forehead kiss, feigning ignorance, ignoring the obvious. Luckily, he doesn't get to perpend on it longer when Hyuntae's cry snaps him out of his thoughts.  
He shoots up from where he was reclining on the couch, ready to act like he wasn't close to losing his mind just now.  
\--  
"Hyung, when is your next pay coming?"  
"Next week I think. Why, is there something wrong?"  
"Hyuntae's new formula, we're almost out."  
Shit. That damned formula is so ridiculously expensive their pocket money wouldn't be enough to shoulder it.  
"The diapers too… there's like only 3 left…" Jaehyun trails off in hesitance.  
"And we have yet to do some grocery shopping..." Taeyong remembers the almost empty cupboards and refrigerator in their shared kitchen.  
He could only do the basic necessities with his pocket money at this point, and meat would probably be a luxury this time around, let alone eating out. Jaehyun's own pocket money could handle the diapers. But not both diapers and the damn formula. They were stuck.  
"Do you think we could borrow a few extra bucks from our friends?" Taeyong meekly asks. And Jaehyun wouldn't usually want to do that. He didn't want to be indebted to anyone, even if he were to pay them back sooner or later. His pride just wouldn't allow it.  
But this time, it's not just him taking the brunt of it. There was a literal child under his care, his pride be damned.  
But even that won't help. His friends are just as broke as them, if not more. They're college students for Christ's sake.  
"I would, but Sicheng is having trouble with money, too."  
The room goes silent as they both think of a way to get by for the next few days, maybe just until Taeyong gets his check.  
"I'm okay with skipping a few meals, you know." Taeyong says.  
"What?" Jaehyun's tone darkens, like he can't process what the older just said but hearing it loud and clear all the same.  
"I'm just saying, it's just for a few days. I'm getting my pay next week, so we'll be fine by then."  
Something in Jaehyun's head turns. Taeyong was willing to skip meals in order to feed Hyuntae. If it was just him he'd be fine, he'd be at home all day for the rest of the summer. But Taeyong, Taeyong works all day at the ice cream parlor.  
Taeyong who bought Hyuntae's crib unprovoked, who stayed up with him at nights when Hyuntae was all fussy, Taeyong who works tirelessly for both him and the baby when he made this decision to take care of Hyuntae alone.  
"No."  
"Jaehyu-"  
"No," Jaehyun stands up from where he's sitting leaving no room for compromise.  
"This is not the time to prioritize your pride, Jaehyun. You know that."  
Jaehyun is offended. Does Taeyong really think he's doing this for his pride of all things?  
"This is not about my pride, hyung. You work your ass off for us, I don't want you to go to work with an empty stomach just because I can't figure anything out," Jaehyun drags a hand through his hair. He's to blame for this.  
"It's not a big deal, I skip meals all the time–"  
"And I've told you to stop doing that!" Taeyong flinches when Jaehyun's voice raises an octave higher. The younger notices, and instantly regrets his own actions.  
He approaches Taeyong, placing a gentle hold on his shoulders, before they move to cup his cheeks.  
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry, hyung. But I can't let you do this," he almost pleads.  
"The trust fund," he starts. "It's still there. It's our only option."  
"But your mom…"  
"Let's hope she won't notice," he strokes a thumb at the shorter's cheek.  
"And if she does… I'll talk to her. We'll keep Hyuntae no matter what."  
Taeyong doesn't get to say anything before Jaehyun pulls him into a reassuring hug. One he desperately needs, he now realizes. He reciprocates the gesture, wraps his arms around the younger and gives him a tight hug. One he knows the younger needs as much as he does.

Reality dawns on Taeyong the following week when they've bought the formula and the diapers, and did their grocery shopping, when he opens the door to Jaehyun's mom on Sunday afternoon.  
She doesn't say a word to him before she's entering the manor, gaze scanning the living room with traces of Hyuntae everywhere—receiving blankets, baby powder, folded baby clothes on the couch, and empty milk bottles on the coffee table.  
Right at that moment, Jaehyun emerges from his room and comes out with Hyuntae in hand, wide awake.  
"Hyung, I think he likes his new formu–"  
He meets his mother's eyes.  
"Mom," Taeyong gulps, dragging his gaze toward the woman.  
"I need to talk to you two."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is finally up MY GOD! if u saw a snippet from twitter and a different name for the baby, no u didn't! i changed it from youngjae to hyuntae bc i had no attachment to that old name whatsoever lmao ANYWAYS lmk what u think of this chapter comments and kudos are highly appreciated <3  
> [twitter](https://twitter.com/jaetheism)  
> [curiouscat](https://curiouscat.qa/jaetheism)


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